Local Family Hopes to Hit "Pay Dirt" with New Business Idea

DECORAH -- Those who enjoy fishing will soon have no shortage of fresh, local fishing bait. Becca Goettl and her two sons, Jacob (14) and Ethan (12) Kulish, of Crater Crawlers rise to the challenge of supplying local bait demand with a unique offering. Eisenia Hortensis. The European Nightcrawler. "This is a type of worm that is just starting to get noticed in the fishing community," Goettl explained. "They are smaller but the coloring and activity they have compared to other worms sets them apart. These are more active - they start twitching as soon as you touch them - and don't need refrigeration. They're great at attracting fish like trout, walleye, bass, and perch." Beginning mid-March, buyers will see Crater Crawlers bait for sale at Ace Hardware, Fisk Farm and Home, and Decorah Mart at a retail price of $3.00 plus tax for around 15 nightcrawlers. "We purposefully put prices low," Goettl explained. "Walmart has these worms and are able to beat our price but they refrigerate them. We're currently at a place where we want to grow more and eventually offer more worms for the same price we currently offer." Goettl raises the nightcrawlers as a home-based operation. Her home's entryway is lined with bins upon bins of the creepy crawlers, and a homemade sifting drum resides in the backyard. "I found the idea online and made it," said Goettl. "Boaters don't want dirty worms since it makes their boats dirty. This drum separates worms and their cocoons from the dirt." The business idea was conceived in the summer of 2023 while the family was planning a trip to Buffalo, NY. The kids were advised to come up with side jobs to earn some spending money. After mowing lawns and telling jokes outside of Impact Coffee, the boys dug up their most lucrative idea from the dirt in their own backyard. "Nightcrawlers are expensive," said Ethan. "And you have to wait for it to rain." "So you can't pick them every day," expressed Jacob. "We figured out how to water the ground and shine red flashlights to attract the nightcrawlers." The boys were seen recently peddling their worms on the corner of Dixie's Biergarten and Kwik Star on College Drive. Their double-sided sign netted over $200 of business in a short amount of time. What began as a hobby quickly became a budding business venture, motivating the family to explore its possibilities at a higher level. Through information received from speaking with the local Chamber of Commerce, it was discovered that the number one question fishermen have about Decorah's fishing tourism is where to get fresh bait. There are currently no documented local bait suppliers - it's all shipped in to local retailers. And with that - Crater Crawlers was born. Goettl, currently working as a bartender at a local bar, hadn't ever started a business of her own before this. "Brittany Todd was holding a R.E.S.E.T. conference in Baker Commons at Luther College," Goettl said. "I received a scholarship to go to the conference and knew this was an endeavor I could make a reality." It was through this networking that Goettl established not only invaluable business mentors, but also a collaboration that would make her nightcrawlers more unique than most. "Reconnected Farms in Dorchester currently supplies mushroom compost to feed the worms," Goettl revealed. "I tried grains and alfalfa but it got too hot. Mushroom compost is a big boomer – the worms are crazy for it. 500 worms go through about 1 ½ lbs of the compost per day. This makes them grow fast." With this self-perpetuating capacity for growth, the future of nightcrawler production looks fruitful. "1000 worms can turn into 1 million in 12 months," said Goettl. "I don't think I'll ever run out of our worms - they keep reproducing!" All retail stores committed to selling their brand will receive a personal visit from the hardworking boys of Crater Crawlers on a weekly basis in order to ensure a fresh selection of bait at all times. "The boys are the face of it," Goettl expressed. "I want to grow it for them since it's because of them. They can choose whether they want to continue it later on." Goettl plans to start business locally and will eventually approach other retailers to tell the Crater Crawlers story, nightcrawlers in hand.